May 28, 2015
Leaping ahead by train: Chateaubriant to Tours
I thought I had it all figured out. I would get up early, settle my bill, ride to the station and get the 9:15 for Nantes. But, and Murphy knows there's always a but, my debit card was refused by the machine in the hotel. I had to run directly to the bank to get cash, and when I got back a busload of tourists were checking out ahead of me. I finally got to the head of the line, paid the bill, got the receptionist to open the garage for me to get my bike, and made the mad dash to the station, only to find the train (or more properly tram) delayed. So I had time to spare getting on. The only problem with this kind of transport is that although they allow bikes, there's really no place to put them. So I kind of propped mine up in one of the entries, and worried that I would have to move it. As it turned out, I did have to move it twice to free the door, but not a major headach.
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The tram whisked me to Nantes in about 45 minutes, not bad for fifty kilometers with seven stops. Just one lurch around a corner threw my bike into a stanchion, leaving a nice dent in the top tube. Sigh. What with the late tram, I had a little time to kill in Nantes, so I rode to the city center to see the chateau. This was the grandest of the Breton chateaux, and like the others has been kept looking good.
From Nantes I got a semi-local to Ancennis. The ticket takers were surprised to have a "Frenchy" with a bike on board. Most of the cyclist taking the train on this line are either Dutch or German, according to them, due to the proximity of EuroVelo 6. From Ancennis, I rode along the bike route to Oudon, then across the Loire and up a long hill to Champtoceaux. On the hill a couple of riders in full Europecar pro team kit passed me like the proverbial shot. There was going to be several races in Brittany over the weekend, so I guess they were out for training rides before the big show. But for my age, my heavy load, and my condition, I could've caught them. (Naw, who am I kidding? I coould never ride like that.) Champtoceaux was a lovely little town, with a ..........
Back when I guided cycling tours, the word was that the food in the Loire valley was the best in France. I'm not sure about that, but the restaurant I found for lunch offered the following as their daily special: entrée- aumonier of tomatoes and peppers a la provençal, plat- pavé de merlu (fish) on rice, local cheese or dessert, all for 10€. Delicious.
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After lunch, I rode the short distance to the community center (salle de fetes) and its surrounding park to look out over the river.
From Champtoceaux to St. Florent le Vieil is about 20km, and I rode it with the wind at my back. The Loire valley is relatively flat, and the route was untrafficed, except for a tractor pulling a baler that I hopscotched for a good part of the route. I got my lst stamp on my card for the department in St. Florent, and crossed the river to get to pick up EV 6. The bike path is poorly signed, and I soon found myself out on the highway into Ancennis. Fortueately, the shoulder was wide enough to accomodate a bike, so I got back to Ancennis in one piece. Time for a drink in the station café, then a local train to Tours. My usual hotel was fully booked, but they had a "sister" hotel with one room left, so I took that. The new hotel also had a garage with space for bikes. A quick shower and off I went for dinner. I was enticed into a restaurant that had been closed when I passed through Tours earlier in the week, and the fare was quite good. I had a steak and frites (french fries, or chips), a nice local wine and was able to ogle the very pretty waitress as she bustled about the outdoor terrace. The food and wine made me sleepy, so I was back at the hotel for an early night.
Today's ride: 60 km (37 miles)
Total: 254 km (158 miles)
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